<p><em>(This actually started as a post to an <a href="../../../forums/business-networking-tips-and-resources/topics/myob-or-quickbooks-for-mac-business-owners">ongoing thread on Mac accounting options</a>, but the more I wrote, the more I realized my comments were better suited to an article.)</em></p> <p><br />I have been Mac based since 1984 and have operated my own Mac consulting business since 1994.&nbsp; I started out with Quicken and did my invoicing through the contact manager I used at the time (anyone remember CAT IV?).<br /><br />When I switched to Marketcircle Daylite for my CRM about 10 years ago, I decided to put my invoicing in my accounting workflow.&nbsp; I figured Quickbooks would be the logical choice, since I had used Quicken for so long.&nbsp; However, Intuit's on again, off again attitude towards the Mac platform tilted me to MYOB, and I've been using it since.<br /><br />For a non-accountant, I find MYOB a little quirky, but for the most part it makes sense.&nbsp; I've never had to do payroll, so I can't comment on that, other than that my clients who did payroll usually called me to make sure they put the annual update in correctly.&nbsp; :)<br /><br />I do find it frustrating when it comes to accountants and bookkeepers, however, because almost every one I've met only works with QuickBooks.&nbsp; Since I keep good records and do my own books, I typically can just print the reports my tax preparer needs and that is sufficient.&nbsp; The flaw is that I'm stuck doing my books... unless I find a bookkeeper willing to learn MYOB just for me.<br /><br />I am becoming increasingly motivated to move to "cloud computing" and software as a service.&nbsp; In this vein, Intuit now has Quickbooks Online.&nbsp; For $10 a month, you can have your data stored and backed up on their secure servers, and you don't have to worry about updates (or even which computer you are on) because everything is taken care of on the server end as part of the service.<br /><br />This solution is platform independent, and as long as you have a reliable internet connection, likely as easy to use from the end user perspective as the offline version. &nbsp;<br /><br />As an added bonus, you can access your data from a Blackberry or iPhone, which means you can enter invoices and time slips in the field.<br /><br />I have not personally tried this approach yet, but I'm going to take a serious look at it before the end of the year.&nbsp; I've expanded my business into social media management and web development, and as CEO and CTO, (and as a tired, overworked, unwilling-to-do-it-anymore bookkeeper) I have made an executive decision to make my applications either open-source, platform independent, or both.&nbsp;</p> <p>I'm now using SugarCRM Community Edition on the same, hosted internet server where I house my website.&nbsp; I can access it from my Mac and my iPhone, while the rest of my organization accesses it from PC's.&nbsp;</p> <p>My hope is that I'll be able to make a similar move in 2010 with Quickbooks Online.&nbsp; Then my [future and <em>willing</em>] bookkeeper and accountant will able to access my data from their PCs in real time.</p> <p>If I do make the switch, I'll write a followup article with my experiences.</p> <p>You can try QuickBooks Online for free at <a href="http://oe.quickbooks.com/">http://oe.quickbooks.com/</a> and see if it will work for you.&nbsp; I would love to hear your feedback.</p> 2009-09-08T08:04:31Z -2.80666 449 6353 true 10 18452 looking-to-the-clouds-for-a-decent-mac-accounting-solution 3 2009-09-10T14:13:57Z 2009-09-10T21:14:43Z

Mac users are often treated as second-class citizens when it comes to accounting programs. While there are a number of good Mac-based solutions out there, including MYOB and MoneyWorks, new, platform-independent solutions await us...in the clouds!

1 2009-09-10T21:14:43Z